395xp Issues

[SpaceBus]

Is 32:1 good for all of my stuff? If necessary I'll get a premix can just for the mill.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Is 32:1 good for all of my stuff? If necessary I'll get a premix can just for the mill.

Just the mill. Buy the best oil or go synthetic imo. 32-1 could give you issues in cold weather with small carbs. You need to adjust the carbs to your new mix and you'll be good. I run 40-1 in most saws and my large blower. The weed whip is ok at 40-1 but needed some fattening up. The big mill is on 32-1 VP mix oil pump gas 89 to 91. 92-3 super in the heat of summer to be sure. The heat robs your fuel of light ends every time you open the jug.
Get a sealed fuel can and keep it out of the sun. Crack open a vent on it for hot day trips in your pick up truck bed. Better than a ballooning can of fuel.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just the mill. Buy the best oil or go synthetic imo. 32-1 could give you issues in cold weather with small carbs. You need to adjust the carbs to your new mix and you'll be good. I run 40-1 in most saws and my large blower. The weed whip is ok at 40-1 but needed some fattening up. The big mill is on 32-1 VP mix oil pump gas 89 to 91. 92-3 super in the heat of summer to be sure. The heat robs your fuel of light ends every time you open the jug.
Get a sealed fuel can and keep it out of the sun. Crack open a vent on it for hot day trips in your pick up truck bed. Better than a ballooning can of fuel.

I use Justrite Accuflow II cans for diesel, straight gas, and a 1 gal for my premix, only 91-93 "premium" pump gas. They vent themselves and are very durable. I try to keep the cans in the shade whenever possible. Until I started milling the 16 oz premix bottles with the measuring section would last me for a while and I would use up all my premix gas every few months. Since I've been using so much gas and oil on the mill I went ahead and ordered a gallon of "Premium Synthetic Blend" Penzoil premix oil. I've only made two gallons of premix with it so far, but pretty much all of it went right into the 395. Just to be on the safe side I ordered a gallon of Maxima brand fully synthetic racing premix oil after reading the comments on this thread and others. It is popular among the dirt bike and ATV crowd, and they also use it in their own chainsaws and trimmers.

 

[SpaceBus]

Does anyone use the Aspen Fuel advertised on this forum? It's about $775 shipped for a 52 gallon drum. Might be worth it long term for the mill. It comes out to about $14/gallon, which is admittedly steep, but cheaper than the Husqvarna or Stihl gasoline.

 

[Lightning Performance]

FD rated is what your looking for in high rpm air cooled motors.

Go read the oil threads.

Make your search from Google to,
outdoor power equipment forum ...

 

[Moparmyway]

Is 32:1 good for all of my stuff? If necessary I'll get a premix can just for the mill.

I run 6oz per gallon, especially for milling

 

[SpaceBus]

FD rated is what your looking for in high rpm air cooled motors.

Go read the oil threads.

Make your search from Google to,
outdoor power equipment forum ...

The synthetic oil I picked exceeds JASO FD / ISO-L-EGD / API TC specifications, so I'm feeling pretty confident. Not so much about the Penzoil I was using for a few gallons.

 

[Lightning Performance]

The synthetic oil I picked exceeds JASO FD / ISO-L-EGD / API TC specifications, so I'm feeling pretty confident. Not so much about the Penzoil I was using for a few gallons.

Any oil will work. If you go with too much it will show up like black goo coming out of the muffler. Beats burning up stuff. Carbon build up is what your looking to avoid plus keep the bearings wet. Tuning it rich is what really matters to me milling.

 

[SpaceBus]

I was just looking at the 395 today and there is a bit of carbon in the exhaust port, is this normal?

 

[Moparmyway]

Oil thread



Yes, carbon happens.
How much of it is the subject of some stellar debates

 

[angelo c]

I'll start making all of my mix at least 40:1 now and tune all three saws and Kombi System accordingly. Maybe the coil and/or plug wire died a horrible heat death since it was also 85 df and sunny that day. Would a ported muffler help the saw run cooler? My wife and I agreed we would endure a louder muffler if it is better for the saw/milling. Especially if a power bump helps the saw spend less time in the cut.

Sorry, missed this the first time...the Kombi has an entirely different set of operational ranges...and it DOES NOT Tune like a 2 stroke saw.... ya gots to Youtube "tuning a 4mix" I think steves saw shop has about the best one. the 4 mix has "Valves" that need attention and a whole nuther maintenance style.

 

[Wolverine]

I've milled a metric chit ton w/ my 94 @ 40:1. Tore it down many times to inspect and it was plenty of oil.

And apparently we think alike @SpaceBus. I bought a chineseium coil to diagnose and low and behold it solved a hot restart issue that I originally thought was vapor lock. That coil really took the life out of my saw and until this:

Don't waste your time with an AM coil for the 394/5. Every single one I've used has had 10-15deg late timing compared to an OEM SEM unit and starts to loose sparks around 10-11k. It will run but have much less power.

Don't worry too much about the mouse bite section of the wire, it's only plastic around that section so there is nothing to short to.

I never knew for 100% sure on the timing of said coil. I sure did suspect it though. When I finally bought a new OE coil and installed it, the saw felt like an animal again. Night and day difference. Now every time I read of someone w/ a 94/95 coil issue, I advise against AM. Looks like everyone beat me to it though...

 

[SpaceBus]

Sorry, missed this the first time...the Kombi has an entirely different set of operational ranges...and it DOES NOT Tune like a 2 stroke saw.... ya gots to Youtube "tuning a 4mix" I think steves saw shop has about the best one. the 4 mix has "Valves" that need attention and a whole nuther maintenance style.

I always thought my Kombi system sounded like a four stroke despite calling for premix. I'll have to watch those videos.

 

[Lightning Performance]

My HT 101's are four mix. I run 40-1 tuned very fat on those. They are not built to scream. Sounds like an old gear drive or ancient chainsaw like the 090 and Titans.

 

[SpaceBus]

They are actually tiny four stroke motors without sumps. They don't scream because there are long pushrods to open and close the valves. I didn't know any of this until yesterday.

 

[SpaceBus]

Got the AM coil and OEM plug yesterday. Waiting on the muffler gasket and some free time.

 

[SpaceBus]

Murphy really has it out for me lately. A limb managed to weasel its way between my fuel tank and trans and then up into the wheel well on my tractor and broke the valve stem on the rear left tire.... Going to be a few hundred bucks just to get the valve stem replaced.

 

[Ford3000]

Is the valve stem not attached to the inner tube, they can be removed,
the old valve removed, patched and a new valve stick on to the tube.

Regarding your 394, if the weather is hot, 32:1, no lighter than 40:1 at
other times, richen up the carb if need be, this cools the engine a little too.

A sharp chain cuts with the least strain on the saw, anything else and you
will cook the saw, it pays to keep chain sharp at all times.

Hope you get sorted and have some nice wood to show.

 

[SpaceBus]

Is the valve stem not attached to the inner tube, they can be removed,
the old valve removed, patched and a new valve stick on to the tube.

Regarding your 394, if the weather is hot, 32:1, no lighter than 40:1 at
other times, richen up the carb if need be, this cools the engine a little too.

A sharp chain cuts with the least strain on the saw, anything else and you
will cook the saw, it pays to keep chain sharp at all times.

Hope you get sorted and have some nice wood to show.

My tractor has tubeless R4's, so the tractor is getting picked up next week. Going to cost a few hundred bucks just to get a valve stem replaced...

 

[SpaceBus]

Today I tried to put the AM coil in the saw, but it wouldn't fit. Swapped on the AM spark plug wire and the saw would give me a few pops on a starting pull, choke closed no throttle. Feeling encouraged I put the plug wire from my dead 346xp and swapped in the new spark plug and sometimes I can get the saw to idle for a second or two. I am fairly certain it's the coil since I can smell fuel, see smoke out of the muffler when I do get ignition, and the plug was wet when I pulled it out.